Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Four Democrats, seven Republicans file in 13th

There are two vacancies in the 13th Subcircuit; ten candidates have filed for both seats. Carol L. Barnes has filed as a Democrat for the Tobin vacancy only.

No Democrat even ran in 2006, when Jill Cerone Marisie was elected. Nor were there Democrats on the ballot in 2004 or 2000 when Thomas J. Kelley and Anthony A. Iosco were elected. The last Democrat to run in the 13th was Deight C. Adams. Adams lost to Thomas P. Fecarotta, Jr. in the 1998 election.

Republican hopefuls

Margarita Kulys Hoffman was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to the Ryan vacancy in July 2006; like all the other Republican candidates, she has filed for both the Ryan and Tobin vacancies. Before going on the bench, Kulys Hoffman was associated with the firm of Grund & Leavitt PC.

James E. Babcock Jr. filed as a Republican. Babcock, a lawyer since 1985, is a partner with Spinak & Babcock PC in downtown Chicago. Babcock and his partner made the Law Bulletin in 2006 when they won a $5.4 million verdict on behalf of a client after a two week trial in the Federal Court (Caletz and Evans v. Transport Carriers Inc., et al., No. 99 C 8146).

Cary J. Collins, a solo practitioner with offices in Hoffman Estates, and a lawyer since 1979, also filed. Collins' Sullivan's entry says that he practices in municipal, criminal and traffic law. Collins is also a Hoffman Estates Village Trustee.

Annie O'Donnell also has a solo practice in Arlington Heights. According to her Sullivan's entry, O'Donnell has a criminal law practice. O'Donnell has a been a lawyer since 1987.

George Straton has been a lawyer since 1990. His office is in far Northwest Chicago, near O'Hare Airport where, according to his Sullivan's entry, Straton specializes in criminal and traffic law and civil litigation. He was at one time an Assistant State's Attorney.

Paul S. Pavlus is an Assistant State's Attorney right now. He has been a lawyer since 1993.

Rounding out the field of Republican hopefuls is Guy M. Karm. Karm is also a solo practitioner, with an office in Arlington Heights. In 2004, Karm was President of the School Board at St. Mary's School in Buffalo Grove. He is a stepson of the late Judge William A. Kelly. A lawyer since 1982, Karm's listing in Sullivan's says his practice is in real estate, probate, criminal and traffic law.

Democratic hopefuls

Ann Catherine Brady practices family law with The Minton Firm in Schaumburg. (She should talk to Mr. Minton about getting listed on the firm website.) Brady has been a lawyer since 1987.

Joe Gump is an Assistant Public Defender. A lawyer since 1987, Gump is based at the Third Municipal District Courthouse in Rolling Meadows.

Gary G. Stanton, a lawyer since 1975, is also an Assistant Public Defender. He has served as Chair of the Hoffman Estates Planning Commission.

Like each of the Republicans, Democrats Brady, Gump and Stanton filed for both of the 13th Subcircuit vacancies.

Carol L. Barnes, as mentioned at the outset of this discussion, filed only for the Tobin vacancy.

I had an email from Robert Barnes regarding Carol Barnes' candidacy. She's only been a lawyer since 1999, according to the ARDC, but Robert Barnes' email adds that, after taking an engineering degree from the University of Illinois, Carol Barnes "began her professional career with a major military aircraft company. A computer scientist by day, she completed both her MBA and Master of Information Management degrees from Washington University in St. Louis at night." Then she went to law school, at IIT Chicago-Kent, later still taking an LL.M. degree in Intellectual Property from the John Marshall Law School.

Barnes' Sullivan's entry says she practices in corporate and intellectual property law. Robert Barnes' email says that Carol is "a registered patent attorney with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Her practice in the Loop and in Palatine focuses on business law matters." Carol Barnes is also President of the Palatine Public Library District Board of Trustees.

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